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Twins Spring Training Highlights

Tom Froemming

By Tom Froemming
in Minnesota Twins Talk

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Danchat Minnesota Twins

Danchat

Old-Timey Member
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It's just as I've heard, Pineda is a big boy. Yowza.

 

How do you pronounce "Ryne"? Names that don't have obvious pronunciations bug me. And looking over his stats, he put up a 5.19 ERA in 26 AAA innings at age 29... I'll give the guy credit for sticking around in the minors, but I can't say I like his chances of cracking an MLB roster.

PseudoSABR Cedar Rapids Kernels

PseudoSABR

Verified Member
Posted
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Encouraging about Pineda.  How and when do the Twins approach him about an extension?  If he kills it this year do we just offer QO to both him and Gibson?

beckmt FCL Twins

beckmt

Verified Member
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Encouraging about Pineda.  How and when do the Twins approach him about an extension?  If he kills it this year do we just offer QO to both him and Gibson?

Depends if the Twins are in the hunt this year.  If we are not and they are doing well, we probably turn at least one of them into other assets.  If the Twins do well the chances are good we QO them for one year.

AZTwin First Round Pick

AZTwin

Verified Member
Posted
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What’s with Bens stance behind the plate? Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. Is it just to go easy on the knees during spring training? Pitcher specific? Or is that how he typically plays?

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
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What’s with Bens stance behind the plate? Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. Is it just to go easy on the knees during spring training? Pitcher specific? Or is that how he typically plays?

Yeah, I hope that was all with nobody on base. In the other game I saw him in briefly, he was dropping a knee down also. It's not like he's super tall (5'10"), but I assume he is trying to give the ump an optimal view of the pitch. Sometimes it's one knee down, sometimes both... not a real fan of this technique, but I'm willing to learn more. Some catchers (Junior Ortiz?) have been known for one leg splayed way out, which I always thought had to have some real drawbacks.

 

"This is how you catch a baseball, son..."

http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/files/2013/09/Minnesota-Twins-Joe-Mauer%E2%80%99s-Concussion-Could-Lead-to-Less-Time-Playing-Catcher.jpg

:)

Tom Froemming All-Star

Tom Froemming

Twins Daily Contributor
Posted
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How do you pronounce "Ryne"? Names that don't have obvious pronunciations bug me.

Rine.

 

What’s with Bens stance behind the plate? Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. Is it just to go easy on the knees during spring training? Pitcher specific? Or is that how he typically plays?

Dan Hayes wrote about this for The Athletic. Twins catchers are trying to dominate the bottom of the zone, where the most missed strike calls are made. Getting really small and low helps the umpire get a better window to see what's going on and keeps the catcher from having to look like his stabbing to catch the ball. It's a really good article.

blindeke First Round Pick

blindeke

Verified Member
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Pineda is the new Big Sexy I see... His belly is just as big.

 

Yes, he is a large man. (but no, obvi, still like a 1/2 Bartolo) 

mike8791 Draft Eligible

mike8791

Verified Member
Posted
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Tom, thanks for this post.  For those of us who follow the Twins closely but aren't at the games, we pretty much are dependent on box scores and your in-game highlights.

 

I'm particularly interested in following our relievers, so your comments on Harper are quite interesting!  A long shot but so far, lights out.  It is worth mentioning that some of our bullpen returnees have not looked too good, at least in the early going.  Magill and Moya have gotten rocked.  Yesterday, Reed and Duffy were lit for home runs from the Sox traveling squad.  May has been quite good, but has also given up a dinger(only hit allowed).  Hildy has looked lights out so maybe rest is the cure for his second half blues?

 

Yes, it is  still early, but our relievers are all fighting for a spot on the 25 man roster and will not get a lot of innings to show their stuff.  I hope the FO is keeping close tabs on these guys while Kimbrel is dangling in the wind.  Just my opinion, but any team with a bullpen including Duffy, Magill and Moya cannot be viewed as an elite one, nor can a bullpen without a set closer be taken seriously either.  Time will tell!

tarheeltwinsfan Cedar Rapids Kernels

tarheeltwinsfan

Verified Member
Posted
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I saw a tweet yesterday that the Twins are in negotiations with Kimbrel. Has anyone else heard that?

I heard it was 13 years at $330,000,001, making him the highest paid player ever.

Dantes929 FCL Twins

Dantes929

Verified Member
Posted
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Yeah, I hope that was all with nobody on base. In the other game I saw him in briefly, he was dropping a knee down also. It's not like he's super tall (5'10"), but I assume he is trying to give the ump an optimal view of the pitch. Sometimes it's one knee down, sometimes both... not a real fan of this technique, but I'm willing to learn more. Some catchers (Junior Ortiz?) have been known for one leg splayed way out, which I always thought had to have some real drawbacks.

 

"This is how you catch a baseball, son..."

http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/files/2013/09/Minnesota-Twins-Joe-Mauer%E2%80%99s-Concussion-Could-Lead-to-Less-Time-Playing-Catcher.jpg

:)

I have no problem with it especially with no one on base.   I wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't pointed out.   Oddly enough it used to bug me watching Flowers catch for the White Sox.   He would lean down and put his right knee on the ground to throw it back to the pitcher.    Looked like a right handed bowler throwing the ball off his right leg or when the least athletic person in slow pitch softball was put at catcher would throw it   awkwardly back to the pitcher.   No impact on the game either but it bugged me way more aesthetically than what Ben is doing.

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
Posted
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Rine.

Is that to rhyme with the Rhine River, or a nice Rhine wine, or the Rhine province in Prussia? :)

howieramone2 First Round Pick

howieramone2

Verified Member
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Over the years I've seen several catchers catch like this. You have to be pretty athletic. With men on base his stance will be more traditional. This is the first time I've seen him. He has me interested. 

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
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Over the years I've seen several catchers catch like this. You have to be pretty athletic.

What advantage does it bring?

Twodogs FCL Twins

Twodogs

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Buxton is on fire, he has 11 rbi already, dang I don't think he had that many rbis for the twins all last year? Nice to see him getting some confidence.

DocBauer All-Star

DocBauer

Old-Timey Member
Posted
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Never heard of Ryne Harper, ever, until the Twins picked up last season. ,(Of course, never heard of Magill before either until he was brought in). So I looked up the 29yo Harper's career numbers and I was honestly surprised!

 

2.56 ERA/ 1.14 WHIP/ .228 BA/ 10.97K per 9IP/ 4-1 SO/BA.

 

I know it's ST and only the first week and all that, but the stuff he shows in that clip, with his career milb numbers and I'm confused. He's never even had a ML cup of coffee and is a non-roster invite?

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
Posted
Posted

Here's an interview with Harper from a few years ago which I just stumbled upon. Might be of interest. It was from 2016 when he was new to the Mariners organization and with the Jackson Generals AA team.

nicksaviking MVP

nicksaviking

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted

Is that to rhyme with the Rhine River, or a nice Rhine wine, or the Rhine province in Prussia? :)

He’s a baseball player so I assumed it was to rhyme with Ryne Sandburg.

 

It looks like the Twins signed the right Harper this year too.

Tom Froemming All-Star

Tom Froemming

Twins Daily Contributor
Posted
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Here's a bit of Ryan Eades. He gave up just three earned runs over his final 30 1/3 innings in the minors least year (0.89 ERA) and struck out 34 batters while walking just five over that stretch. 

70charger Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

70charger

Verified Member
Posted
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Random observations:

 

Andrew Vasquez doesn't even look like he's trying. It's amazing he has that velocity with what seems like such a casual delivery.

 

Ryan Eades seemed to have success working up in the zone. Is that a thing he's emphasizing more now?

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Andrew Vasquez doesn't even look like he's trying. It's amazing he has that velocity with what seems like such a casual delivery.

I would like to see whatever a more deliberate delivery would accomplish, then. Too many of his pitches go nowhere close to the catcher's mitt.

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